Creating and Managing Engaging Learning
Environments
Topic 5
Discussion Question 2
Description:
There are a number of key stakeholders in a school system and the school community. List
at least three important stakeholders, including parents, and explain the importance of
your relationship with each of them. How will your relationships with these key
stakeholders affect students?
Working with diverse learners is the new norm for most teachers. Classrooms are a mix of abilities, challenges, and
triumphs. Students learn differently in so many ways. Small group learning is a wonderful way to play to the
strengths of each individual learner. Placing learners of various abilities in each group balances out the learning.
Each group finds its own level as the differently-abled students work together to achieve a common goal.
Student grouping is a clandestine process. No one should be aware of the group dynamics. The grouping should
appear as random to all students- especially each student as they are placed in the group. The groups are a
combination of various abilities and learning styles on purpose. The end goal is that each group feels like they are
randomly chosen. To make sure this goal is achieved; I am asking questions to each group. I am moving from group
to group to talk to each team, assuring input from everyone on the team. Increasing the self-esteem of those
students who feel like they are “less than” by treating them the same as everyone in the group. Carefully
monitoring for giving respect to each other and assuring that no one takes control of the group- it is a collaborative
effort.
To ensure that learning is happening for everyone, each student has a small assignment to recap what was learned.
Due to the nature of the inclusive classroom, students can choose from three options to complete the assignment. A
6-sentence journal entry, a picture of the lesson outcome, or a one-minute oral presentation to myself or the class.
After the group learning, the classroom debrief happens. Students are asked about what they thought and how the
overall group learning project worked.